Exclusive! EJ Obiena establishes landscapes towards Philippines’ earliest ever before Olympic silver: “That is the purpose”

Filipino pole-vaulter EJ Obiena simply bankrupt new federal list (again): The guy discussions Tokyo Olympics, Mondo Duplantis, and feeling the brand new like on Philippines in our private talk.

EJ Obiena are smiling when he pops up to the videocall. “Sorry, was only doing my Covid decide to try,” he states, “it’s bad, so which is great news.”

Simple fact is that newest great news in the a powerful stream of a great development having EJ whoever amazing interior seasons gave means to fix an incredible outside seasons on Tokyo 2020 Olympic Game simply days aside.

Obiena have several times busted federal info and you may catapulted themselves on top of the podium more than globe winner Sam Kendricks and you will Olympic silver medallist Thiago Braz.

Into the Obiena place yet another Filipino listing of 5.85m, successful the fresh Jump and you will Travel competition inside Mossingen, Germany, one draw surpassed his very own record of 5.81 he devote when you look at trГ¤ffa Grekisk kvinnor the Chiari, Italy – a mark that generated him the initial Filipino so you can qualify for Tokyo 2020.

Private! EJ Obiena sets places to the Philippines’ earliest previously Olympic silver: “That’s the mission”

The newest Olympic postponement gave Obiena a-year to operate more challenging and you can go higher and then he’s hiking steadily toward secret 6m draw, placing themselves in the reckoning towards the podium at rescheduled during summer out of 2021.

That it pole vaulter ‘s the pride off Filipino track and field that’s during the surely about their purpose during the Tokyo Games:

“Earn new silver, that’s it kid. That is an extremely hard purpose to get to, but that is the prospective. That is why I am starting all this, never to get next rather than to get 3rd. in order to earn they.” – EJ Obiena

Should Obiena do it however get to be the earliest previously Filipino to profit a keen Olympic silver medal, permanently creating his term for the Olympic lore from a nation passionate about athletics.

Read on because of it private interview into Philippine eagle, out of his Olympic aims to the brand new Filipino dining he misses (Like fresh coconut liquids, mangoes and you can Jollibbee!), exactly how Covid almost produced your stop trying and you can go home, and his awesome 75-year-dated advisor Vitaly Petrov who confident him to store supposed.

We in addition to hear about how he looks after their psychological state away from your home, the fresh members of the family he could be made, their girlfriend who’s including an athlete, in addition to challenging assistance the guy seems off Filipinos far and wide.

Exactly how large can EJ Obiena go?

5.62m (5th) at Karlsruhe Community Interior Concert tour, 5.80m (1st) from the ISTAF Berlin, 5.68m (1st) in Dortmund, 5.60m (5th) within WA indoor Journey Silver inside Lievin, 5.86m (2nd) at the Orlen Cup during the Lodz, 5.80m (3rd) during the Copernicus Cup, Torun.

Today he’s their places seriously interested in the fresh new Western number regarding 5.93, but for EJ it’s just not about the latest number.

“And so i understand this height goal top that we have to get to but meanwhile not every race gift suggestions the fresh new chance for one to generate you to definitely club, you understand. With regards to competition, We attention on the brand new bar that is lay right now.

“Starting competition, if you think about this new record and someone jumps more one record, you’re fundamentally like, oh s. I have to diving more than you to?

“Thus i believe an educated particular therapy going into competition simply that i should be he whom leaps higher than all of those other field. I work with profitable the newest suits.”

Their outside 12 months first started amazingly as he removed 5.80 to ideal brand new podium inside the Summer, then he eliminated that Olympic simple again during the 2021 FBK Video game in the Netherlands, in which he stepped up to the podium trailing only Mondo, who cleaned six.10m.